Micro Works

[Olyvya]

I recently got a new comp. It came w/ Micro Works. NOW,
I cannot open any of my excel or word docs. Also, if
someone emails me an attachment I am told it cannot find
an applicable program to open it with.
Is this Microsoft's way of making me pay MORE money to buy
the Microsoft office program because they are imcapable of
making there new programs compatible with older ones.

PLEASE ADVISE HOW TO FIX!!!

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Apparently, your computer came with Microsoft Works.
Microsoft Works is not Microsoft Office. You can install
Microsoft Office by purchasing Microsoft Office and
installing it on your computer.

Products that Qualify for the Microsoft Office 2003 Upgrade
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;832288&Product=off2003

Office 2003 Editions Product Information
http://www.microsoft.com/office/editions/prodinfo/default.mspx

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

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| I recently got a new comp. It came w/ Micro Works. NOW,
| I cannot open any of my excel or word docs. Also, if
| someone emails me an attachment I am told it cannot find
| an applicable program to open it with.
| Is this Microsoft's way of making me pay MORE money to buy
| the Microsoft office program because they are imcapable of
| making there new programs compatible with older ones.
|
| PLEASE ADVISE HOW TO FIX!!!

 

[Malke]

I recently got a new comp. It came w/ Micro Works. NOW,
I cannot open any of my excel or word docs. Also, if
someone emails me an attachment I am told it cannot find
an applicable program to open it with.
Is this Microsoft's way of making me pay MORE money to buy
the Microsoft office program because they are imcapable of
making there new programs compatible with older ones.

PLEASE ADVISE HOW TO FIX!!!

You got a new computer and it came bundled with preinstalled software in
addition to the operating system (Windows XP). Operating systems don't
come with word processors, spreadsheets, dvd players, etc. Those items
are *applications*. The computer mftr. (Original Equipment Manufactuer)
choose to include Microsoft Works. This has nothing to do with
Microsoft making you pay anything. If you choose to use MS Office
(which *does* include Word and Excel), then you are choosing to use
that commercial program instead of other commercial office suites, such
as those made by Corel or StarOffice. If your new computer did not come
bundled with Microsoft Office and you want it, you will either have to
go to the store and buy that program or use an alternate. Corel
products can read Microsoft Office formats, as can StarOffice.
OpenOffice from www.openoffice.org is the free version of StarOffice
and can read and write MS Office formats. The 602 Office Suite can also
do this.

Hope this helped you to understand how things work,

Malke

 

[Yves Leclerc]

Microsoft Works does not open Excel speadsheet, because it does not have
Excel. You can download free viewers which will allow you to view Excel,
Power Point and Word documents.

However, depending on the version of Works, some do come with Word.
However, yours does nopt seem to have Word. The other word processor that
came with Works does not open Word files.

Y.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

In

I recently got a new comp. It came w/ Micro Works. NOW,
I cannot open any of my excel or word docs. Also, if
someone emails me an attachment I am told it cannot find
an applicable program to open it with.
Is this Microsoft's way of making me pay MORE money to buy
the Microsoft office program because they are imcapable of
making there new programs compatible with older ones.

Calm down. This has nothing to do with making new programs
incompatible with older ones.

Neither Windows XP nor any other version of Windows has ever come
with Word, Excel, nor with any other significant application
software. But apparently the vendor of your previous computer
(*not* Microsoft) bundled Microsoft Office (which includes Word
and Excel) with the computer he sold you.

The vendor of your new computer (again, *not* Microsoft)
apparently bundled Microsoft Works with the computer he sold you.

Computers don't necessarily come with *any* application software
bundled into the package. *Some* computers come with Microsoft
Office, some with Microsoft Works, some with Corel Office, some
with nothing. What comes with the computer is at the discretion
of the hardware vendor, not Microsoft.

If you wanted Word and Excel (or Microsoft Office) than you
should have chosen to buy a computer that came with them, or you
should have been prepared to buy them afterward. Don't blame
Microsoft for your failing to do your homework and choosing a
computer that came with incompatible software.

 

[Jim Macklin]

Microsoft WORKS is a nice and inexpensive program that has
some useful features for basic word, spreadsheet and
database at the household level. It is not suitable for the
more demanding needs of businesses and even college
students.

It is less expensive than OFFICE because the OFFICE
applications are so much larger and able to do more. Be
cause it is less expensive, some mfg'rs bundle WORKS just so
the buyer has something to basic word processing.

There are free converters so that WORKS can open some of the
OFFICE programs, but some functionality may be lost because
WORKS doesn't handle multi-level databases or spreadsheets.
MS WORD has features that are not supported by WORKS but
WORKS should be able to open WORD files.

As others have said, you can get free viewers for OFFICE
files or you can buy OFFICE. Since you just bought the
computer, perhaps the dealer or mfg'r will sell you OFFICE
at their bundle price.



| I recently got a new comp. It came w/ Micro Works. NOW,
| I cannot open any of my excel or word docs. Also, if
| someone emails me an attachment I am told it cannot find
| an applicable program to open it with.
| Is this Microsoft's way of making me pay MORE money to buy
| the Microsoft office program because they are imcapable of
| making there new programs compatible with older ones.
|
| PLEASE ADVISE HOW TO FIX!!!

 

[Tim Slattery]

I recently got a new comp. It came w/ Micro Works. NOW,
I cannot open any of my excel or word docs. Also, if
someone emails me an attachment I am told it cannot find
an applicable program to open it with.
Is this Microsoft's way of making me pay MORE money to buy
the Microsoft office program because they are imcapable of
making there new programs compatible with older ones.

You have MS Works, which has it's own word processor and spreadsheet
programs. The Works programs can't open MS Word documents or MS Excel
spreadsheets.

The most obvious way to solve your problem is to buy a copy of MS
Office. Once you install that, you'll be able to read, modify and
create Word docs and Excel spreadsheets.

If you only need to see these things, and don't need to create or
modify them, you can download free viewers here:
http://www.microsoft.com/office/000/viewers.asp

You can also check out Open Office (www.openoffice.org). This is a
free, open-source office suite that includes word processor,
spreadsheet, presentation creator, etc. It can read Office files.